The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-05-13
W. G. T.. u.
candy.
Rising Sun, May 9Th, 1887

Rising Sun, May 9Th, 1887.
DEAR SISTERS OF w. G. T. U:-Snce
l last met with you have had the pleasure
of attending the State Temperance Alliance
which met OF Balti more the 26th and 81 of
April, and thinking some if not all would
be interested l have prepared an account
of its proceedings.
The w. G. T. U. of Baltimore conducted
the opening devotional exercises. Pres't.
Higgins then introduced Rev. ]. E..
Grammer who delivered the address of
welcome. In the course of which he said i,
'What will it profit us if our rank in COM
merce, in wealth, in agriculture, and in
manufacture be the first in the world while
$9O0,000,000 are annually laid upon the al.
tar of the drink god. We may be sure
there is no greater social or moral evil in
our must than intemperapce. l feel that
such an alliance as this has tine commend
alton of the highest authority on earth. 1t
is approved by the teaching of the Holy
Bible, which declares that strong drink is
raging and no drunkard can enter the
kingdom Of God. If the people can be in
duced TO say that this evil shall be abolish
cd it can be done.
1t has been done in majority of the
counties of this State. 1t has been done in
the whole states Of Rhode Island, Kansas,
iowa and in D.kato nd wbaf 10 II thot
prevents its being done? First of all there
is the love of liquor. protected and fed by
the license to sell it. Second, there is the
moneyed interest controlling the vote OF
people. Third, there are the bribery and
love of spoil, which corrupt the purity OF
the ballot box and make it tool in the in.
terest of this infamous traffic. Fourth,
there is the sham being conscience and par
alyzing love of ease in the church of God
1t is easy to see why the cause of prohibi-
bition has not advanced more rapidly.
But We rejoice that it has advanced at all.
Mr.. X. o. Deyries Of Howard Co. in his
response to the address of welcome said
I'VE are legalizing curse more ruipous
in its effects than African Slavery ever was
| mean the licensed liquor traffic. Our
sisters struck the key note to ultimate sue
cess when by their indefatigable labors and
zeal they reached the public schools by
legislative enactment, to them and our leg
islators our thanks are due. We have
pandered too long to an intoxicated pub
lie sentiment. The beer gardens of our for
eign population are trying to poison the
current of American thought by ignoring
the teach ing Of our old guide book. the
Bible, and by debauching our rising gener-
alton with the so-called healthy drink
lager beer-a productive source of revenue
which fills aims houses, state prisons, and
consigns our ofsprings to drunkard's graves
We think to the careful observer the hand
writing is observable. The liquor traffic
must go. The monster must be crushed
America shall yet be free.
The report for the year was made by
Secretary Mosher, showing several pages of
Prohibition literature circulated and con-
graduated the Alliance on the prevailing
sentiment in city and State for Constitu-
tional prohibition in Maryland, waged on
purely non partisan and non sectaran
basis.
At the afternoon session was a debate on
methods, N N. Neck of Belair spoke of
the policy of the U. S. Government in is
suing license tax permits to sell liq uor in To-
cal option counties. One of his arguments was
to ia x the still to death, not high license
but high taxation. Rev. A. j. Gill advo-
Gated state prohibition amendment before
making efforts for action on the part of the
general government.
Between the morning and afternoon ses-
sions the w. C. T. U. had meeting at
which Mrs. James Carey Thomas presided
Short addresses were made by several of
the ladies, among them our Pres't. Mrs.
jewell.
The main feature of the mass meeting
which was held at night was the powerful
and elegant Grafton delivered by Col. Geo.
w. Balm of Kentucky. Mr.. Joseph Seth,
Speaker of the House of Delegates presid-
ed, when Col. Balm was introduced. He was
given such hearty ovation that he said if
it was kept up he would be frightened. He
said "That while he knew nothing of evo-
luton he knew that through the saloon
there had been going on in this country a
system of evo luton whic hreduced man be-
low the brute. Prohibition can be accom-
plished but not by high license which is
another. Missouri compromise High license
has increased the number of saloons and
drunkenness wherever it has been intro
duced. Wherever you have drink you
have drunkenness. You may have high
tax or low tax but all the time it is sin tax